Local philanthropic campaign hits $120,000 and counting

Twelve Days of Giving, a philanthropic effort supporting five San Benito County nonprofits, completes another successful fundraising campaign

Community FoodBank of San Benito County provides food for local clients.

CASA kids receive lots of great gifts from folks in the community such as Taha Kahn.

Bob Curtice helps unload new bikes for CASA kids.

Twelve Days of Giving, a homegrown philanthropic effort supporting five San Benito County nonprofits that provide essential services, continued the dramatic arc of growth it has enjoyed since its inception just a few years ago, it was revealed Dec. 14.

“It’s both gratifying and astounding again to bear witness to the overwhelming generosity of the San Benito County community,” said Gary Byrne, executive director of the Community Foundation for San Benito County. Community Foundation and United Way of San Benito County are key partners in the effort, and this year were joined by sponsoring businesses, governmental agencies and a service club to provide a substantial matching fund to stimulate donations.

Contributions continue to trickle in, but as of Wednesday, the campaign netted over $122,000, divided between Chamberlain’s Children Center, Community FoodBank, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Emmaus House and the Salvation Army. Byrne said he would not be surprised if the final figure shows local generosity amounting to $125,000 or more. Calculated as a gift to the five organizations benefiting this year, the 2016 campaign sets a new benchmark for success.

Twelve Days of Giving is an idea born of generosity and community spirit. Several years ago, Bob Tiffany of Tiffany Motor Company was contacted about using his Hollister dealership for a live remote telecast promoting a holiday season fundraiser for a national nonprofit organization. When he learned of the cost to his dealership for agreeing to play host, Tiffany hatched another idea with the goal of ensuring that all funds stayed within the community.

Working with the Community Foundation for San Benito County and United Way of San Benito County, he approached people in his network for help, and Twelve Days of Giving became a reality. The idea is simple: businesses and organizations in San Benito County are approached for sponsorship grants at a suggested amount of $2,500. Community Foundation and United Way provide the additional funding as partner agencies at $9,000 each.

For all concerned, it’s important that the 12 Days of Giving campaign keeps its roots deep in the San Benito County Community. And the ways the community’s outpouring of generosity changes lives for the better is as varied as the agencies receiving the benefit.

Chamberlain’s, CASA and Emmaus House all work with children and families in times of crisis. Each of them use their 12 Days funds to bring the holidays back to the children and families they work with. This week, their offices are filling with toys, and at Chamberlain’s, plans are being laid for holiday outings. Salvation Army’s funds go toward its sweeping suite of services, from feeding families to youth development programs. At the Community FoodBank, the funds help leverage its reach into the community that now extends to 5,000 people each month.

“Thanks to our generous supporters and 12 Days of Giving,” said CASA’s Esther Curtice, “we’re ready to brighten the holidays for foster children from our community who are often not with their families.”

Chamberlain’s Denise Cauthen-Wright said, “We provide not just gifts for our foster care children, but also the kind of outings that stimulate development and growth.”

The women and children at Emmaus House’s shelter are all fleeing abuse. In a home-like setting, they can begin to recover and build new futures. Twelve Days of Giving opens a window into how families can experience joyful holidays, and it gives the resident children something else to open at Christmas, said Patrice Kuerschner, executive director. “I only wish I could talk about the lives changed and the things I see each year because of 12 Days, but because of the people we help, I just can’t. Please believe me, the effect of 12 Days of Giving is a year-long gift to us.”

Caleb Montes at Salvation Army was so busy he couldn’t even attend the meeting Wednesday when the outcome of the campaign was tallied. He was busy preparing for distribution of toys and goods to needy families throughout the community.

At Community FoodBank, volunteers from Seminis were packing bags for distribution. Drivers were hauling barrels filled with food from the annual Food and Fund Drive. Other volunteers were out in the community, sharing the abundance that flows through the warehouse each week. Twelve Days of Giving helps Community FoodBank reach out to 5,000 people each month. Client customers – retirees, working poor, children and families – can count on a boost every week from the FoodBank. As a result, lives change. Volunteers encounter abilities and strengths they never imagined. Customers turn into volunteers, eager to share the benefits they received.

“I have two takeaways from 12 Days of Giving,” said Maria Thomas, Community FoodBank CEO. “The first is that, through the year-long collaboration among our nonprofits, we are stronger together than we’ve ever been, and that makes us all stronger and better able to serve our community. Second, is that the generosity shown by our friends and neighbors in San Benito County is limitless.”

United Way’s Vicki Fortino perhaps summed it up best: “What I like best about living in San Benito County and working with United Way is that I can look a person in the eye and say that here, in this special place, we take care of our own.”

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Gary Byrne is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation for San Benito County. Gary has over 25 years of nonprofit development and management experience. He is a native of Dublin, Ireland and lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and two children.

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